Neoga Wins NTC Girls Basketball Tourney Crown

These 12 players were named to the 2023 National Trail All-Conference Team.

BEECHER CITY -- Neoga High School claimed the championship of the National Trail Conference Girls Basketball Tournament with an exciting 58-50 overtime win over Effingham St. Anthony Saturday.

The Indians and Bulldogs were tied at 13-13 after the opening quarter. Neoga edged ahead 28-27 at halftime. The Bulldogs came back with a 14-10 third quarter to lead 42-38. But Neoga had a 13-8 final quarter run to knot the score at 50-50 sending the contest into overtime. In the overtime period, Neoga had an 8-0 run for the victory.

Sydney Richards provided the firepower for Neoga with 26 points on seven field goals and 10 of 12 at the line. Allison Sampson also hit double digits with 12 and Haylee Campbell added 11. Sampson and Richards connected on two three-pointers each.

Neoga improved to 23-3 on the season.

St. Anthony was led by Nancy Ruholl with 20 points on eight field goals and two of two at the line. Lucy Fearday chipped in with 12.

The third place contest went to North Clay (Louisville) over Brownstown/St. Elmo, 47-41.

The Cardinals took a 15-9 opening quarter lead and led 30-15 at halftime. BSE came back with a 12-5 third quarter to pull within 35-27 and finished strong but couldn't overcome that opening half by North Clay.

Miah Ballard scored 23 ponts on six field goals, one a three-pointer, and 10 of 13 at the line. Alexis VanDyke finished with nine points on three trifectas from the field.

BSE was led by Lexi Seabaugh with 16 on six field goals, two three-pointers and two of two at the line. Laney Baldrige added 11.

In the consolation championshp, Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City edged Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg, 56-52.

CHBC edged out to a 12-10 opening quarter lead and led 25-22 at halftime. CHBC then had a 14-12 third quarter before WSS came back with an 18-17 final period only to fall four points short.

CHBC was led by Madison Wojcik with 19 points and Gracie Heckert with 17.

Windsor/Stew-Stras was led by Ella Kinkelaar with 16 points. Kinkelaar went over 1,000 points in her career at the tourney. Also in double figures were Ellie Wittenberg and Samantha Hayes with 14 each.

In the seventh place game, South Central downed Altamont, 67-47.

The Cougars held a 33-30 halftime lead then went on a 21-9 third quarter surge and that was the contest.

Brooklyn Garrett and Taegan Webster provided the one-two scoring punch for the Cougars with 26 and 20 points respectively. Garrett hit 10 field goals and was six of eight at the line while Webser connected on eight field goals and four of seven at the line.

Altamont was led by Skylie Klein with 14 points on six field goals, two of those three-pointers.

Named to the NTC All-Conference Team were Sydney Richards (Neoga), also named the Most Valuable Player, Lucy Fearday (St. Anthony), Gracie Heckert (Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City), Ella Kinkelaar (Windsor/Stew-Stras), Miah Ballard (North Clay), Lexi Seabaugh (Brownstown/St. Elmo), Stacie Vonderheide (St. Anthony), Brooklyn Garrett (South Central), Allison Sampson (Neoga), Nancy Ruholl (St. Anthony), Laney Baldrige (Brownstown/St. Elmo) and Haylee Campbell (Neoga).

National Trail Conference Tournament

Championship

Overtime

ST. ANTHONY (50)

Ruholl 8-2 -- 20, An. Faber 1-0 -- 2, Vonderheide 3-0 -- 6, Nuxoll 1-3 -- 5, Fearday 5-1 -- 12, Rios 2-0 -- 5. TOTALS 20 FG, 6 FT.

NEOGA (58)

B. Richards 3-0 -- 6, Sampson 3-4 -- 12, Hakman 1-0 -- 3, S. Richards 7-10 -- 26, Campbell 4-3 -- 11. TOTALS 18 FG, 17 FT.

St. Anthony                13    15    14      8    0    --    50

Neoga                         13    14    10    13    8    --    58

3-point FG -- St. Anthony 4 (Ruholl 2, Fearday 1, Rios 1), Neoga 5 (Sampson 2, S. Richards 2, Hakman 1).

Third Place

NORTH CLAY (47)

Price 0-5 -- 5, VanDyke 3-0 -- 9, Ballard 6-10 -- 23, Clark 1-0 -- 2, Boose 1-0 -- 2, Czyzewski 2-0 -- 4, Wetherholt 1-0 -- 2. TOTALS 14 FG, 15 FT.

BSE (41)

Myers 0-0 -- 0, Baldrige 5-1 -- 11, Stine 0-0 -- 0, Beall 0-0 -- 0, Turco 1-0 -- 2, Seabaugh 6-2 -- 16, Stine 0-0 -- 0, Ireland 4-0 -- 8, Williams 1-0 -- 4. TOTALS 17 FG, 5 FT.

North Clay                  15    15      5    12    --    47

BSE                              9      6    12    14    --    41

3-point FG -- North Clay 4 (VanDyke 3, Ballard 1), Brownstown/St. Elmo 2 (Seabaugh 2).

Consolation Championship

WSS (52)

Kinkelaar 6-2 -- 16, VonBehrens 0-0 -- 0, Wittenberg 3-7 -- 14, Hayes 5-3 -- 14, Weeden 0-2 -- 2, Richards 3-0 -- 6, Mathis 0-0 -- 0. TOTALS 17 FG, 14 FT.

CHBC (56)

Summers 2-0 -- 4, Rodman 2-1 -- 6, Heckert 5-4 -- 17, Nohren 0-0 -- 0, Gour 0-0 -- 0, Olesen 2-0 -- 4, Wojcik 9-0 -- 19, Stuckemeyer 2-2 -- 6. TOTALS 22 FG, 7 FT.

WSS               10    12    12    18    --    52

CHBC             12    13    14    17    --    56

3-point FG -- Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg 4 (Kinkelaar 2, Wittenberg 1, Hayes 1), Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City 5 (Heckert 3, Rodman 1, Wojcik 1)

Seventh Place Game

ALTAMONT (47)

Grunloh 0-0 -- 0, Pearcy 0-0 -- 0, Bohem 3-3 -- 9, Miller 3-0 -- 8, P. Osteen 2-0 -- 4, Lurkins 3-1 -- 7, K. Osteen 1-0 -- 2, Klein 6-0 -- 14, Reardon 1-0 -- 3, Weishaar 0-0 -- 0. TOTALS 19 FG, 4 FT.

SOUTH CENTRAL (67)

Michel 1-1 -- 3, Kai. Swift 0-2 -- 2, Garrett 10-6 -- 26, Feldhake 0-0 -- 0, Webster 8-4 -- 20, Cowger 8-0 -- 16. TOTALS 27 FG, 13 FT.

Altamont                      13    17      9      8    --    47

South Central              18    15    21    13    --    67

3-point FG -- Altamont 5 (Miller 2, Klein 2, Reardon 1), South Central 0.